Meet Xzaviar Snipes (center) a recent Job Corps graduate and St. Louis Carpenter’s Union Apprentice. He has secured employment with TJ Wies Contracting and his starting wage of over $20 per hour will blow the Department of Labor’s target starting wage out of the water!! Xzaviar is pictured here with his instructors Brian Gray (left) and Bill Blasingame who describe this success story as “an exceptional young man who is going to work for an exceptional company.” Apprenticeships are a key focus for the Department of Labor that have expanded well beyond the building and construction trades as an effective method of training in technical areas that require extensive knowledge and a robust skill set, but not a four-year degree.